Indonesia rescuers find Spanish tourist’s body a week after boat’s sinking
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Rescuers searching for missing tourists in the waters near Padar Island, Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, on Dec 27, 2025.
PHOTO: EPA
JAKARTA – Rescuers retrieved on Jan 4 the body of a Spanish man who had been missing since a tourist boat sank in rough seas off eastern Indonesia
Mr Fathur Rahman, head of the local search and rescue agency, said a body was found floating in waters near Rinca island, around 2km from site of the accident on Dec 26.
Following an identification process, authorities have confirmed the victim’s identity as 44-year-old Fernando Martin Carreras, added Mr Fathur.
Mr Carreras was the coach of the reserve women’s team of the Spanish football club Valencia, according to an earlier statement from Real Madrid.
The man’s wife and one of their daughters were among seven people rescued after the vessel went down in the Padar Island Strait, near the popular destination of Labuan Bajo.
The boat was carrying 11 people, including six foreign tourists from Spain, one local tour guide, and four Indonesian crew members, officials said.
Authorities found the body of another daughter on Dec 29, leaving two people still missing – both boys from the same family.
Rescuers continue their search, aided by divers and sonar systems, Mr Fathur said.
Local police have launched an investigation into the sinking, state news agency Antara reported on Jan 1, with a police spokesman saying legal action would be taken if authorities can find evidence of negligence.
Maritime accidents occur regularly in Indonesia, a South-east Asian archipelago of around 17,000 islands, often due to lax safety standards or bad weather. AFP
